Weird NewsEnergySalt Lake CityBureau of Land Management

No Major Probe Planned For Utah Monolith That Suddenly Disappeared

The sheriff in San Juan County says he doesn’t have the resources to devote much time and energy to finding the object.
Lindsay Whitehurst

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Police won’t be opening a major investigation into the disappearance of a mysterious silver-colored monolith that generated international attention and a mess when curious visitors made their way to the site of the discovery in the Utah desert.

The sheriff in San Juan County says the office doesn’t have the resources to devote much time and energy to the taking of the object, which was illegal to begin with because it was placed without permission amid red rocks on a remote section of public land. Its creator also remains a mystery.

Hundreds of people came to see it after the gleaming, almost otherworldly object garnered widespread attention as a literal bright spot in a sea of grim news during the pandemic. Authorities are accepting tips from anyone who saw anything suspicious related to the discovery.

Visitors parked vehicles on plants and left behind waste, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The site doesn’t have a parking lot, bathrooms or cellphone coverage, and some passenger cars had to be towed from the remote area after getting stuck.

The attention came after the monolith was spotted Nov. 18 by state helicopter crews helping wildlife biologists count bighorn sheep. It was about 11 feet (3.4 meters) tall with sides that appeared to be made of stainless steel.

Utah officials did not say specifically where the monolith was located, but people soon found it through satellite images dating back to 2016 and determined its GPS coordinates.

The site is now empty except for a piece of rectangular metal covering a hole where the monolith had stood. The land agency reminded any would-be visitors that driving off designated roads in the area is illegal.

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your will go a long way.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

Cryptozoology
Chupacabras(01 of21)
Open Image Modal
Phylis Canion holds the head of what she called a Chupacabras at her home in Cuero, Texas, on Aug. 31, 2007. She found the strange-looking animal dead outside her ranch and thinks it is responsible for killing many of her chickens. (credit:Eric Gay, AP)
Loch Ness Monster(02 of21)
Open Image Modal
A view of the Loch Ness Monster, near Inverness, Scotland, on April 19, 1934. The photograph, one of two pictures known as the "surgeon's photographs," was allegedly taken by Col. Robert Kenneth Wilson, though it was later exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling. On his deathbed, Spurling revealed that the pictures were staged by himself, Marmaduke and Ian Wetherell, and Wilson. References to a monster in Loch Ness date back to St. Columba's biography in 565 A.D. More than 1,000 people claim to have seen "Nessie," and the area is, consequently, a popular tourist attraction. (credit:Keystone / Getty Images)
Bow-Nessie(03 of21)
Open Image Modal
In England, a kayaker took this photo on Lake Windemere, near Bowness in Cumbria. "At a distance, I thought it was some sort of large dog," said Tom Pickles. "Then I realized just how long it was." Ever since the first reports of Bow-Nessie emerged in 2006 from Lake Windermere, a legend has taken root with people wondering if this could be a not-too-distant relative of the legendary Loch Ness Monster of Scotland. (credit:Tom Pickles, The Westmorland Gazzette)
Loch Ness Sighting(04 of21)
Open Image Modal
This is a photo of boats at Urquhart Bay, Loch Ness, Scotland, on Aug. 6, 1983, made by American wildlife photographer Erik Beckjord. It shows splashes on the surface of Loch Ness made by an unidentified object (white mark at center right), which Beckjord claimed could have been made by the Loch Ness Monster. (credit:Erik Beckjord, AP)
Loch Ness Monster Fin(05 of21)
Open Image Modal
Robert H. Hines, president of the Academy of Applied Science, released this photo during a 1972 investigation of Loch Ness. Hines said his expedition took photo, which he said showed the fin of the Loch Ness Monster, and that it was substantiated by sonar and other scientific data that strongly suggests there is a large marine creature inhabiting Scotland's Loch Ness. (credit:AP)
Mersey Monster(06 of21)
Open Image Modal
This mysterious shape was captured by photographer Mark Harrison while riding on a ferry off the Seacombe district of Wirral in the United Kingdom on the morning of May 25. Experts claim that it could be a harbor porpoise or a basking shark, but Harrison says, "Me? Clearly, I believe it's Nessie on her hols!" (credit:Mark Harrison / @inniebear)
Nessie and Alaska's Illie May Be Sleeper Sharks(07 of21)
Open Image Modal
This 2000 image shows biologist Bruce Wright in salt waters in southeast Alaska with a small Pacific sleeper shark that was caught on a research cruise. He believes much bigger versions of this shark group could be the true identity of Scotland's Loch Ness Monster and Alaska's Lake Iliamna creature known as Illie. (credit:Courtesy of Bruce Wright)
Dorset Pliosaur(08 of21)
Open Image Modal
The giant jaws of a huge marine reptile are on permanent display at Dorset County Museum in the UK. Dating back around 155 million years, the pliosaur skull was discovered on the nearby Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and is one of the largest and best preserved fossils of its kind ever found. (credit:Dorset County Council)
Montauk Monster(09 of21)
Open Image Modal
Was it a dog or a pig or something else? Nobody knows for sure, but this animal was discovered in 2009 on a beach in Southold, on the North Fork area of New York's Long Island. Subsequent photos were published on Montauk Monster. (credit:Nicky Papers, montauk-monster.com)
East River Monster(10 of21)
Open Image Modal
This Atlantic sturgeon corpse measuring more than 6 feet long was pulled from the East River in New York City near Pier 17 on May 21, 2011. Watch video here. (credit:NY1.com)
Bigfoot in Rutherford County, N.C.(11 of21)
Open Image Modal
Thomas Byers snapped this photo of "Bigfoot" along Golden Valley Church Road on March 22, 2011. (credit:Thomas Byers)
California Bigfoot(12 of21)
Open Image Modal
This is a 1977 still photo from a 16 millimeter film made by Ivan Marx reportedly showing the legendary Bigfoot cavorting in the hills of Northern California. (credit:AP)
Washington State Sasquatch(13 of21)
Open Image Modal
This is a black and white print from a color movie Frank White said he took in the forest near Bellingham, Wash., on Oct. 8, 1977. "I'd call it a North American ape," said White. "You can call it a Sasquatch or anything you like." (credit:AP)
Georgia Bigfoot(14 of21)
Open Image Modal
This still-frame image from video provided by Bigfoot Global LLC shows what is claimed by them to be a Bigfoot or Sasquatch creature in an undisclosed area of a northern Georgia forest in June 2008. (credit:Bigfoot Global LLC, AP)
Bigfoot Footprint(15 of21)
Open Image Modal
The legend of Bigfoot has baffled many people for decades, especially when images like this one are released. A footprint measuring 17-and-3/4 inches long and 7-and-1/2 inches wide was discovered Aug. 26, 1980, at a residence in the Conemaugh Township area of Johnstown, Pa. A very well-defined print was left behind, if indeed it was Bigfoot, plus a left print was found eight feet away in a more wooded area. Along with the footprints, reports of strange noises and a very unusual but strong odor coincided with the account. (credit:AP)
Bigfoot Plaster Cast(16 of21)
Open Image Modal
Ken Gerhard of Houston holds a duplicate plaster cast footprint at the Texas Bigfoot Conference in Jefferson, Texas, on Oct. 15, 2005. The event was hosted by the Texas Bigfoot Research Center. (credit:D.J. Peters, AP)
Bigfoot Casts(17 of21)
Open Image Modal
Al Hodgson, a volunteer guide at the Willow Creek-China Flat Museum, holds up a plaster cast of a Bigfoot imprint displayed at the museum's Bigfoot Wing in Willow Creek, Calif., on June 5, 2000. The wing was built to bring tourists interested in the legendary creature to the economically depressed ex-lumber town. (credit:Rich Pedroncelli, AP)
Bigfoot Body?(18 of21)
Open Image Modal
This photograph obtained Aug. 15, 2008, from Searching For Bigfoot shows what is purported to be the body of the legendary ape-like creature that has been the subject of decades of hoaxes and dubious sightings. Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claimed before a crowd of skeptical reporters in Palto Alto, Calif., that they were hiking in a northern part of Georgia when they stumbled upon the body near water. The corpse was said to be 7 feet, 7 inches tall, weighing more than 500 pounds. Many scientists believe Bigfoot is folklore instead of fact. (credit:AFP / Getty Images)
Abominable Snowman Footprint(19 of21)
Open Image Modal
This alleged Abominable Snowman footprint photo was taken near Mount Everest on Dec. 13, 1951. (credit:Topical Press Agency / Getty Images)
The Jersey Devil(20 of21)
Open Image Modal
An artist's rendition of the Jersey Devil, based on eyewitness reports of a creature said to roam the Pine Barrens area of New Jersey. (credit:Public Domain)
Mothman(21 of21)
Open Image Modal
A large Mothman sculpture stands along Main Street on Dec. 11, 2007, in Point Pleasant, W.Va. More than 40 years after the first reported sighting of the mysterious creature later dubbed "Mothman," residents here have embraced his legend, helping to turn the town into a destination for people in search of an offbeat tourism experience. (credit:Jeff Gentner, AP)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip